Vapor-burning apparatus.



No. 632,492. Patented Sept. 5, 1899.

v A. KITSON.

VAPOR BURNING APPARATUS.

I (Application filed Aug. 27, 1898.) (No Model.) 2-s'he=tsshee l.

WITNESSES:

AT'TORNEY No. 632,492. Patented Sept. 5, I899. A. KITSON.

VAPOR BURNING APPABATUS- (Application fiied Aug. 27', &98..)

2 Sh|otsSheat 2.

(lo Model.)

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NITED STATES ARTHUR KITSON, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PATENT FFICE.

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO THE KITSON HYDROCARBON HEATING AND INOANDESOENT LIGHTING COM- PANY, OF SAME PLACE AND CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

VAPOR-BURNING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,492, dated September 5, 1899.

Application filed August 27, 1898.

To all 1072/0727, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR KITSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Burning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vaporburning lamps, and is more specifically designed to produce an improved form of suspensionlamp employing two or more incandescent mantles, commonly known as Welsbach mantles, under which a mixture of keroseneoil vaporized by the heat of the lamp itself is burned after admixture with a regulated quantity of air.

The invention also includes an improved method of burning such vapor in a casing which is practically air-tight, with the exception of an outlet for the discharge of the gases of combustion, the air brought in in combination with the vapor being the only air admitted to the interior of the lamp.

My invention further relates to an improved construction of the parts of the lamp, whereby all soldered or brazed joints exposed to intense heat above the level of the burners are done away with and riveted or screwed joints substituted which cannot possibly be melted by the heat of the lamp and whereby the various parts of the lamp interlock and are held firmly in their proper relative positions during the operation of the lamp and at the same time are capable of easy and prompt disengagement and removable for purposes of replacement, repair, or cleaning.

My invention further relates to other important details of construction hereinafter to be more fully described.

The preferred form of apparatus for em bodying and carrying out my invention is illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central section of the lamp with parts assembled. Fig. 2 is a detail section taken at right angles to Fig. 1, showing the method of attachment of the heat shield to the adjacent portions of the lamp.

Serial No. 689,658. (No model.)

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail showing the method of assembling the vaporizing-tube, the mixing-tube, and adjacent parts.

Throughout the drawings like referencefigures refer to like parts.

, 1 represents the hanging or supporting rod by which the lamp is suspended.

2 is a heat-shield having the cross piece or bridge 3 in conjunction therewith and the openings 4 4, &c., for the passage of hot gases.

5 is a nut screwed onto the lower end of the hanging-rod 1 and supporting the heat-shield and its cooperating bridge-piece 3. The innor surfaces of said heat-shield are preferably covered with white enamel or other substance which will make a reflector capable of standing intense heat. (Such coating is shown in Fig. 3, marked 2 6 is an annular heat-deflecting plate, to

which the bridge-piece 3 is attached by rivets 7. This plate 6 may also be enameled or otherwise treated, so as to serve as a lightrefiector as well as a heat-deflector.

8 is a chimney attached to the plate 6 by rivets 9, and 10 is a smoke-bell mounted on the sleeve 11, which is screwed onto the top of the hanging-rod l and which has the setscrew 12, by which itis fastened on the rod 13, provided at its upper end with a ring 14.

The plate 6, chimney 8, and heat-shield 2 form together a supporting-frame suspended from the ring 14. vThis frame supports on the under side the hemispherical glass globe 15, which is mounted on the ring 16, attached at one side to the plate 6 by the hinge 17 and at the other side by the turnbuckle 1S,.mountcd in a projecting lug 19, and passing through a slot-shaped opening 20 in the plate 6. This turnbuckle has projecting prongs 21, which pass through the plate 6 when parallel to the slot-shaped opening 20, but which cannot be withdrawn when turned crosswise of said opening.

A gasket 22 of asbestos or other suitable air-tight connection between said globe and the plate 6.

'23 is a mixing-tube extending down from the plate 6, to which it is attached by means of the flange 24 and cooperating nut 25. The flange 24 is preferably made adjustable by screwing it on the tube 23. This mixing-tube has a horizontal portion 26, supporting the two burner-tubes 27 27, in which are placed (himbles 28 28 of wire-gauze. Between the two burner-tubes is located the baffle-plate 29. On the under side of the portion 26 of the mixingtube and preferably directly beneath the baffle-plate 29 is the oil-pocket 30, in which burners are mounted Welsbach mantles 34,

supported by any convenient means, such as the wires 35, adjustably mounted at the sides of the burners by means of the setscrews 36 36.

37 is a shallow cup for alcohol surrounding the burners or located adjacent thereto, so as to come under the vaporizing-tube, having a mass of asbestos 38 arranged therein. 39 is a converging shell of wire-gauze mounted on said cup in the manner and for the purpose described and claimed in my application, Serial No. 674,573, filed March 21, 1898.

' 40 is a feeding-funnel mounted on the outside of the plate 6, having the plunger 41,

closing the opening in the bottom thereof, all

as described in my above-mentioned application.

42 is a tube connecting said feeding-funnel with the alcohol-cup 37, and 43 is a wick of asbestosfiber or other absorbent incombustible material extending from said feeding-funnel 40 to the alcohol-cup 37. Said wick may pass through the side of said feeding-funnel, if desired.

44 represents an enlarged mouthpiece fit ting into the upper end of the mixing-tube 23, having openings 45 in its upper portion for the admission of air. I 46 is a muffler lined with asbestos or lead or other non-resonant material, as described in my above-mentioned application, fitting over the mouth of this mixing-tube extension 44.

47 represents the vaporizing-tube, having the internal closed tube 48 and gauze thimbles 49 49, as described and claimed in my application filed of even date herewith, Serial No. 689,657.

50 is a discharge-opening formed in the under side of the vaporizing -tube over the mouth of the mixing-tube, and 51 is a feather on the other side of the vaporizing-tube which engages with the slot 53 in the chimney and keeps the vaporizing-tube in the proper position. 54 is a similar slot in the other side of the chimney to permit of the withdrawal ofthe vaporizing-tube.

52 is a ring slipping over the mouth 44 of the mixingtube and fitting down into a notch 52 in the feather 51, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3.

55 is the oil-supply tube, and 56 is a Valve of any suitable construction for controlling the flow of oil from said tube to the vaporizing-tube 47.

57 is a strip of wire-gauze surrounding the opening between the top of chimney 8 and the smoke-bell 10. This is given the down wardly-curved shape shown, so as to form a receptacle for any scale that may fall oft the gauze and prevent it from falling down onto the mantles and ruining them.

The method of operation of my invention is as follows: A quantity of alcohol is depos-. ited in the feeding-funnel 40 suflicient to fill the same. Said feeding-funnel is of approximately the same capacity as the alcohol-cup 37. The plunger 41 (the end of which only is shown) is then lifted and the alcohol flows down through the tube 42 to the alcohol-cup, saturating the asbestos therein contained. The asbestos wick 43 becomes also saturated with alcohol during this operation and on touching a light to it the flame runs down said Wick to the alcohol-cup and ignites the vapor of alcohol there being generated. The heat thus generated is focused upon the vaporizing-tube 47 by reason of the fact that the current of heated air flows directly up through the chimney 8. In case the amount of air supplied through the mixing-tn be 23 is not suflicient for the 'proper burning of the alcohol the glass globe 15 may be dropped down on the hinge 16 by releasing the turnbuckle l8, and then after the lamp is properlyin operation the globe may be swung up again and locked in position. When the vaporizing-tube has been raised to the proper temperature, the valve 56 is opened and the oil-supply, by

the tube 55, under pressure, is forced into the vaporizing-tube. It is there vaporized by the heat and a jet of vapor is discharged from the opening 50 down the mixing-tube 23. This jet entrains a quantity of air with it and the mixed vapor and air is fed to the vapor-burners 27 27. The vapor and air emerging from said burners are ignited by the alcohol-flame and the incandescent mantles become heated and give oif a powerful white light. The heat of the upward current of gases maintains the vaporizing-tube at the proper temperature and the action of the lamp becomes self-supporting. The baffle-plate 29 checks the flow of vapor and air in part and equalizes the pressure of the same at the two burners. Any particle of oil which passes through the vaporizing-tube without being vaporized or which is condensed in the mixing-tube drops into the fibrous material 31 in the oil-pocket 30, and the forcing of the current of vapor to turn a corner around the baflle-plate tends to IIS assist in this disposition of any entrained par; ticles of liquid in the oil-pocket. The oil so deposited on the fibrous material 31 is gradually vaporized by the passing current of air and vapor and passes up through the burners for combustion. Any particles of dirt or asbestos shreds which are carried up toward the burners are caught by the gauze thimbles 28 28 and prevented from passing up to the burner-mouth. These thimbles can be removed and cleaned when necessary. They also assist in diminishing the noise produced by the burner.

If an unusually large quantity of oil passes down into the oil-pocket, it may be removed by opening the drip-cock 32. For the purpose of replacing the mantles or cleaning or adjusting the burner parts the hemispherical glass globe 15 may be swung to one side by releasing the turnbuckle 18. During the operation and lighting of the lamp, however, said globe does not need to be removed, and the only air admitted to the globe is that coming down the mixing-tube 23 in combination with the vapor. This protects the mantles from any cool drafts of air whatsoever and maintains them steadily at a high degree of incandescen-ce. It also protects the burners from any side drafts of air and causes the lamp to burn steadily even if quite violently swung from side to side or lifted up and down. This construction also constitutes a safeguard against fire in case of the flooding of the lamp with oil. In some cases through imperfect action of the valve the oil is supplied faster than it can be vaporized and goes through the vaporizing-tube down the mixing-tube tothe burner,whereit catches fire when there is a sufficiency of air to support combustion and blazes up, ruining the lamp and in some cases starting a general conflagration. In my construction, however, the discharge of oil into the mixing-tube fills the lower end of the same and the burner with oil and shuts off any further access of air to the interior of the lamp. Accordingly the lamp goes out and no danger of fire or the smoking and overheating of the lamp results.

The upward current of hot gases and such light-rays as are radiated upward are focused on the vaporizing-tube by the reflecting heatshield 2.

In taking the lamp apart the mufiier 46 is lifted off and the ring 52 lifted up, as shown in Fig. 3, when the vaporizing-tube may be withdrawn, as also indicated in said figure. \Vhen the burner itself is to be taken out of the lamp, the mouthpiece 44: of the mixingtube is removed and the nut 25 unscrewed, when the mixing-tube and the burner supported thereby maybe removed from the sup porting-frame. The burner-and mantles may be adjusted at the proper distance from the vaporizing-tube by adjusting the nut 25 and screwing the flange 2i on the mixing-tube 23.

The wire-gauze 57 covering the opening between the chimney and the smoke-bell performs adouble function, in that it prevents the flame from escaping from the lamp when it flares up, as in the case of lighting the lamp sometimes, or in case of an accident. This is necessary to prevent accident by fire in certain localities-as, for instance, in a cottonmill. It also steadies the upward flow of the heated gases and to a limited extent retards the same, so as to insure maintaining the vaporizing-tube in a uniform bath of hot gases. It also prevents blasts of cold air from being forced down the chimney and keeps insects from entering and falling onto the mantles, thereby ruining them.

The feather 51 on the side of the vaporizingtube maintains it in the proper position, so that the jet discharged from the opening 50 will pass down the mixing-tube. The ring 52 holds the vaporizing-tube in a fixed relation to the mixing-tube and insures the centering of the discharge-opening 50 over the mouth of the mixing-tube.

The advantages of my improved apparatus and method have been in part set out by the foregoing description. As described, the action of the lamp is steady and absolutely unaffected by external conditions of the atmosphere, dsc. All the joints above the plane of the burners are either riveted or screwed, so that there is no danger of their melting and the lamp falling apart. All the principal parts of the lamp interlockone with the other and while firmly and positively held in place can bereadilydisengaged. Themostintense and perfect combustion is secured, whereby the mantles are raised to the highest degree of incandescence and at the same time are protected from any drafts of air or variations of temperature which might tend to shrink or crack them. If by any chance a particle of oil gets into the mixing-tube, it is caught in the material 31 and slowly evaporated under the heat of the burner parts instead of being rapidly evaporated, as is the case where it is deposited on a metallic surface and the lamp caused to flare up and smoke by the excess of vapor thereby delivered to the burner.

It is evident that various changes could be made in the details of construction in my apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention so long as the relative arrangement of parts shown in the drawings and the mode .of operation described in the specification are preserved.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a vapor-burning lamp the combination of the vapor-burner, the incandescent mantle therefor, the inclosing air-tight casing having only an outlet of restricted cross-section forthe gases of combustion just sufficient to carry off said gases, but not large enough to permit the entry of outside air, and the mixing-tube which extends from the top of the exterior of the casing downwardly and connects to the burner.v

2. In a vapor-burning apparatus the con bination of the burner, the inclosing casing, the alcohol-cup adjacent to said burner, and the wick of absorbent incombustible substance extending from the alcohol-cup to and through the inclosing casing, together with the feeding-funnel mounted on the exterior of the inclosing casing and connected by a tube with the alcohol-cup, in which feedingfunnel the outer end of the above-described wick is placed.

3. In a vapor-burning lamp the combination of the vapor-burner, the incandescent mantle therefor, the inclosing air-tight casing having an outlet for the gases of combustion, the mixing-tube extending from the exterior of the casing and connecting with the burner, the alcohol-cup adjacent to the burner, the feeding-funnel mounted on the exterior of the casing and connected by a tube with the alcohol-cup, and the wick of absorbent incombustible material extending from the feeding-funnel to the alcohol-cup.

at. In a vapor-burning lamp the combination of the vapor-burners, mantles therefor, the inclosin g casing, the chimney, the smokebell of greater diameter than the chimney, and the curved wire-gauze extending outwardly from the upper end of the chimney and upwardly to the smoke-bell.

5. In a vapor-burning apparatus the combination of the double burner, the mixingtube extending along and connecting with each burner-tube, and the baffle-plate located in said mixing-tube between said burnertubes.

6. In a vapor-burning apparatus the combination of the double burner, the mixingtube extending along and connecting with each burner-tube, and the baffle-plate located in said mixing-tube between said burnertubes, together with the oil-pocket in said mixin gtnbe directly beneath said baffle-plate, and a mass of absorbent material in said pocket.

'7. In a vapor-burning apparatus the combination of the mixing-tube, the vaporizingtube extending into the same at an angle thereto, and provided with a recess on its exterior adjacent to said mixing-tube, and a ring adapted to slip over said mixing-tube and engage said recess on the vaporizing-tube.

8. The combination in a vapor-burning lamp of the supporting-frame, the mixingtube and the vaporizing-tube, each of said parts loosely interlocking with anotherbnt devoid of permanent fastenings one to another.

9. The combination in a vaporburning lamp of the supporting-frame and a removable vaporizing-tube provided with a longitudinally-extending feather which engages a slot in the supporting-frame.

10. The combination in a vapor-burning lamp of the supporting-frame, and a removable vaporizing-tube provided with a feather which engagesa slot in the supporting-frame, said vaporizing-tube being provided with a discharge-opening on one side whereby the feather serves to fix the direction of the jet discharged from said opening.

11. The combination in a vapor-burning lamp ofthe reflector,chimney and heat-shield, riveted together to form a supporting-frame, the vaporizing-tube extending across the base of the chimney under the heat-shield, and the hanging-rod attached to said heat-shield.

Signed by me at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 25th day of August, 1898.

ARTHUR KITSON.

Witnesses:

CHARLES A. LAGEN, PHOEBE A. REED. 

